Take a Breath
by Sphinx Face
Summary: The plot is general no pairing yet till chapter three and four which are rather action packed. I think it takes place in my own fifth year not related to the book's fifth year with my OC DADA teacher. So enjoy.
1. Then Live the Moment

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't ask, don't tell?

A/N: The Tile and each chapter run together I.E. Take a Breath, Then Live the Moment. The POV switches around a little, sorry if this confuses anyone. Oh and, the first part is only significant if I choose to continue after Take a Breath. This is my 2nd HP fiction, and I had the whole idea planned out before the Fifth book came out. So enjoy, and let's hope I can actually finish it! 

_Take a Breath… _

…Then live the moment.

_Chapter one (prologue) _

_Harry could feel his hair being pushed around by the warm breeze. He was standing on a dark field of ashen rock that went on as far as the eye could see. The sky was a deathly black color, but there was a strange haze was peering over the horizon revealing a terrible sight. There was a red river flowing slowly off to his right and bodies, dead bodies, were laying all around. Worst of all, they were dead bodies of the same person, Harry Potter. Strangely undisturbed he peered curiously into the steadily flowing river. ___

_ His questions grew once he peered over the bank. There was nothing reflected back, though he thought there should have been. 'What is this?' he thought as he turned around. He lifted one of the many lifeless bodies from the charred earth. The eyes were open, staring at nothing, yet penetrating, expressionless and cold. They reminded Harry of ice. It was plain to see that the stiff person was dead. He hadn't really realized how heavy it was till now. Half sickened, half confused he dropped his own body and watched as it fell into the darkness. _

Harry woke with a start, but he didn't sit up, he just rolled over in his four-poster bed. He couldn't clearly remember his dream, only the sensation he had gotten from it. He felt the thin, lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. It had a tendency to hurt if Voldemort was close or feeling hateful. No, it didn't hurt. 'How weird,' he thought. The unsettling feeling was now overcome by the urge to sleep. He thought about the dream no more as he drifted off into oblivion.

Draco woke up in his dormitory and almost screamed. He could remember his sickening dream! He had been lying on the hard ground looking at a jet-black sky. When he looked to his side he saw himself, lying cold and lifeless. There were dead bodies of him everywhere. He remembered someone picking him, up but didn't see who it was…

He put his left hand on his forehead. It cool, yet he felt feverish. He'd had other dreams similar to this one, but this dream was almost worse somehow.

He sat up, letting the blankets fall freely to his side. He stood up after a moment and picked up his Hogwarts robes. He didn't feel tired any more, but very wide-awake. It wasn't that he was scared to go back to sleep, but since it was almost five in the morning it would have been pointless.

He didn't feel like waking Crabbe or Goyle. They were loud and clunky, and he just wasn't in the mood for company. He also didn't want to attract any attention. Draco wondered why he was still friends with them. Then he remembered the protection they provided. Dismissing any more thoughts of the two boys, he concentrated on avoiding the few teachers that would be out this early in the morning. He wondered for a moment when they slept, since they always seemed busy, teaching or patrolling at night. They probably all had their own catwalk, and took shifts. He had subconsciously learned the patterns, for the easiest way out of the castle, on his many solemn, secluded outings. His memory proved its worth as he swiftly exited through the castle doors.

The morning's cold crispness stabbed Draco's exposed skin like a thousand frozen needles. He drew his Hogwarts robes more tightly around his green, silk pajamas, walking swiftly across the dew-laden grass towards the shadowed forest. Leaning up against a tree he peered out over the lake. It looked colder than death in the vague early morning light. He, of course, did not test this theory. The sight of the smooth lake surface calmed Draco somewhere within his being. He took a really deep breath as if trying to suck up this soothing feeling, but the bitter air still burned his exposed skin, his idea for a stroll seemed worse by the moment. When he could no longer stand the chill, he returned to the castle and made his way to the Slytherin dorm.

Draco headed into the Great Hall, after fixing himself up in his the dormitory. The sky-mirroring ceiling was reflecting the overcast morning, it was lighter outside then it had been earlier. There were only a couple of teachers in the Great Hall now, but Draco knew the other students would be piling in at any moment. Draco, now more formally dressed, ran a hand on his platinum blond hair making sure it laid flat. Draco took his seat at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, as he sat down, groups of people had started to enter the hall. Behind a group of Slytherins, Draco immediately recognized two hard-to-miss boys, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. They took their seats on either side of Draco, who groaned inwardly. He never in his mind thought of Crabbe and Goyle as friends, yet that's what he called them.

Neither Crabbe nor Goyle asked where he'd been earlier that morning, they never did. They never asked questions and they really didn't seem to care. Draco thought they were too stupid at times to string sentences together. He shrugged this thought away and turned to the food filled golden plates in front of him.

More students and teachers were coming into the Great Hall, taking their respective seats. Among them were Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Draco glared at them as they came in, feeling a familiar pitch of anger when he glared at Harry. Draco recalled their first year when he had held out his hand in a request of friendship. Harry had declined his hand, and Draco had hated him for it, his hate growing stronger over the 5 years he had known him. They had become enemies, who fought at every chance they got, and bitter rivals on the Quidditch pitch, and even in some times their classes. Draco was jealous, but not in any apparent way, of being beaten at Quidditch, though he would never admit it, not even to himself.

Harry walked into the Great Hall with Hermione and Ron, his dream hanging on only by a thread at the edges of his mind. They took their seats.

"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is," Ron said eagerly.

"We have it today," Hermione said looking at the timetable she had received.

"It's right after Care of Magical Creatures. We've got that first today," Harry said, looking over Hermiones shoulder.

On the other side of the room, looked over his own timetable along with Crabbe, Goyle and the rest of the Slytherins. He furrowed his brow.

"Divination this morning…" he smirked awkwardly. He cracked a joke about Professor Trelawney, and the Slytherins around him broke out laughing. This was how it always was.

Ron had seen the fits of laughter starting from Draco's mouth. Ron glared at Draco, "I really hope we don't have Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins this year," he grumbled. "It's bad enough we have Potions with them every year."

After everyone subsided at the Slytherin table Draco got to his feet. Immediately, Crabbe and Goyle looked to him for instructions, but he said he needed to use the rest room and that he'd be back, so they waited.

"Yeah, there's absolutely no looking forward to Potions tomorrow," Harry said sounding slightly defeated.

"Harry, don't," Hermione started but Ron suddenly stood up. "Where are you going Ron?" she asked.

"To the bathroom… I hope everyone's ok with that, cause I really got to go," he replied with a grin then turned to leave.

"That's a little too much information," Hermione let out as she went back to her meal.

Ron steadily walked out of the Great Hall. As he turned to head for the bathroom he came face to face with Draco.

"Oh," Ron said his tone cold and hard as steel, "it's you…"

"I feel so important…" Draco said in his casual drawl.

"I really hope you don't, because no one cares about you. Except your mum maybe, but even then I feel sorry for her, any one like that doesn't deser--"

"If you don't shut up, _Weasley_, I'll curse you right here," he said his name with certain iciness as he glared at Ron. His patience with these useless comments about his mother was growing thinner every second.

"I'd like to see you try," Ron said, returning his glare.

Suddenly Draco realized he had no one to back him up, but he was too angry to care, "I really don't care if I do any real damage. Your friends won't miss you, seeing as you're no use to them anyway. Though, your mum might not have enough money for a proper funeral," Draco retorted, he was trying to get Ron back for his earlier comment about Dracos mom.

Ron was so hopelessly entangled in a sudden thread of rage that everything around him blurred. All he wanted was Malfoy to be destroyed, physically or mentally. His wand lay in his pocket forgotten as he lunged at Draco, punching him in the face.

Draco was too stunned to react in time. He'd expected retaliation, but not physical. The wind was knocked out of him as he was thrown to the floor.

Ron looked down at Draco; he could see a huge bruise forming under his eye where he'd hit him. An intense feeling filled Ron, like liquid fire in his veins. What he'd just done felt good, like glory, and all he needed to do now was finish the job.

Hermione had dismissed her thought as soon as Ron had said he really needed to go, but Harry watched him as he left. And he saw him confront Malfoy. '_Oh no…_' he thought, '_this can't be good_.' He could sense something bad was going to happen if no one pulled them apart, Draco was too arrogant and Ron too stubborn to leave the situation alone. Harry stood up to make sure nothing would happen, but as he started to make his way there it was too late, Ron had punched Draco.

Before Ron was able to punch Draco again, Harry seized him under the armpits and wrenched him up. This was somewhat of a bad idea on Harry's part, as Ron was now open to attack from Draco, who took the chance and rammed his elbow into Ron's stomach. Ron slumped out of Harry's grasp and crumpled onto the floor. Harry pushed Draco, who was unsteady after his last attack, back down on the ground. Before anything else could happen, Professor McGonagall had strategically placed herself between all three of them.

"_That's it!_" she yelled. "Weasley, Potter, Malfoy, all of you follow me!"

As she led them down the corridor they glared at each other, Draco with his hand to his face and Ron with both hands on his stomach.

McGonagall stopped them short on route to her office and decided to tell them off where they stood, since now no one was around to hear them.

"I don't care for the reasons behind it, but fighting is never accepted." Her tone was calm but shadowed a sea of anger. "I'll find you later to give detention. I'd give them to you now, but I have a lot of work that needs to be done before class starts. I suggest you all make your way to class. And if I hear that any of you have been fighting again, expulsion might not be out of the question!"

She left down one way, which seemed to be in the direction of Draco's class because he followed behind her without looking back. Ron and Harry looked at each other, both scared and yet relived that they didn't have to deal with McGonagall or Draco right now. So they made their way out to the grounds for Care of Magical Creatures with a sense of overshadowing dread.

End of chapter one


	2. And Relax

YAY! Chapter two! I can't believe it's going so smoothly, my muse is gentle, enjoy!

_Take a Breath… _  
…And relax.

_Chapter two:_

They caught up with Hermione at Hagrid's hut, as class was just about to start. Harry suddenly realized they had this class with the Hufflepuffs.

"I can't believe you did that! You're in trouble right?" Hermione said as they approached.

"Yeah, a lot I suspect." Ron mumbled looking at his feet. Harry nodded his agreement.

"You guys are always going at each other's throats, at least no real harm was done," Hermione stated, trying to make light of the situation.

"That's not exactly how I feel," Ron groaned, clutching his stomach.

Class started and Hagrid was showed them to a large crate, "gather round," he said eagerly to the class, "I got somethin' inerestin 'ere ter show ya," Harry couldn't surpass a slight twinge of fear. Things that Hagrid found interesting were likely to take your head off.

"They're a relative o' Quetzalcotal," he lifted the lid off the crate, "they're called Occamies," The class peered into the crate. There were five 4-foot long creatures. They looked like brown, feather-winged snakes and they were all asleep. Hagrid continued, "Occamy eggs are pure silver, and theses 'ere are jus' babies."

Hermione smiled. It seems Hagrid finally listened to her. They had sometimes had long talks about how he should try to show them harmless and yet still interesting creatures. And Hermione couldn't remember mentioning the Occamy.

After a bit of explanation Hagrid went into the history of the Occamy and other creatures like them. It was a good lesson besides the fact the creatures were snoozing. And sooner than they would all think the bell rang over the grounds and they made their way back to the castle.

Their next class was Defense against the Dark Arts. When Ron, Harry and Hermione entered, they noticed immediately they had the class with the Slytherins. Harry looked around, the teacher wasn't here yet but everyone took his or her seats anyway. But before Harry had anytime to talk to Ron about something someone walked in. Harry did a double take. He could have sworn on the fact that the person, who was making their way behind the teacher's desk to sit down, was Lucius Malfoy. Maybe he had a twin brother? Ron and Hermione next to him seemed to think the same thing, they looked at each other and then glanced at Draco. The look on his face was one of the most surprised and disbelieving they had ever seen, he was totally and utterly shocked. Whoever this person was, they were probably related.

"Hello class," his voice was very similar to Lucius, but a little more feminine. He rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, "I am the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher," he said the words slowly, clearly and calmly, his manner reminding Harry slightly of Snape. "And my name is…" Harry sat up straight in his chair, he was anxious to see if it was really Lucius, "Zekie Malfoy." He could now see that this person was much younger looking than Lucius, by at least 20 years. His hair was longer, still slicked back, but a lot messier. And Harry realized he had a long, black stone hanging on a golden chain around his exposed neck.

Harry glanced at Draco, who now looked a little annoyed. "Today," the new teacher said, interrupting Harry's train of thought. "We'll be taking notes on next class's practical lesson," everyone was listening intently.

He gave them a chapter to work on and waited untill they were working before taking out a book of his own to read. They read things about big creatures like Dragons and Manticores and how to handle them in dangerous situations.

Ron leaned over close to Harry and said in a whisper so hard to hear that Harry almost missed it, "I think he works for the Ministry in the Control of Dangerous Creatures Department."

The room was so silent Harry was afraid to ask about it so he would wait till later to ask him. He just nodded

That class seemed to go by rather quick, along with the rest of their classes that day, and the whole time Harry and Ron were both worrying about their impending detention.

Soon then later evening came, and Ron and Harry were waiting in the entrance hall for Hermione to come back from her class. Harry was going to ask about the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, when suddenly Ron and Harry spotted Remus Lupin standing next to the great oak doors talking to Dumbledore. They started to approach the two of them but then Dumbledore left to go outside, Remus watched him go, unaware of the approaching boys.

"Hello professor," they said in unison.

He turned to greet them with an unreadable smile on his face. "Hullo there."

"What are you doing here Professor Lupin?" Harry asked.

His smile got a bit wider, "I'm just asking the Headmaster to help me… and you know you, can just call me Remus. I don't work here any more…"

"Oh," they said together, almost excitedly.

Before Harry could ask what he'd been up to, he heard Professor McGonagall's voice behind him and Ron, "Are you boys ready for your detention?"

Both Harry and Ron turned around to see Professor McGonagall and Draco standing next to each her, Draco was looking rather disgruntled. "Oh yeah," they said. Seeing Remus drove the whole detention thing right out of their heads.

She made her way out of the front doors and they followed behind Draco. Harry turned to look at Remus one more time. He wore a smile of sympathy, he had a hunch that he Remus had been in this kind of position before.

She led them down toward Hagrid's cabin. The sun set was strangely beautiful, it was lighting up the whole sky like it was on fire. When they got there Draco asked, "We don't have to go in there again, do we?" He was tried to be angry but it sounded more like he was scared. He was probably thinking back on the first year when he was scared at the fact that there could be werewolves in the forest.

"No Malfoy. You're going to be planting trees." She looked at them all sternly. "Of course, you will be doing it all without magic." They all groaned. "Now wait here while I go retrieve Hagrid." And she left them there.

'_What is she thinking leaving us alone with Malfoy?' _Harry thought angrily as he glared at Draco, but he was looking toward the castle.

"This is so stupid…" Draco said to himself, "and what is _HE_ doing here?" he hissed quietly turning to Harry and Ron. He continued with a smile, "I'll bet he came here to ask Dumbledore for financial support. The repo-goblins must have told him he defaulted on his payments. Sound familiar Weasley?"

"Malfoy, I swear--" Harry started.

"Do you? I always knew you weren't the saint you claimed to be," he said very airily.

"You seem rather calm Malfoy. Maybe we'll make you do all the work," Ron threatened.

Draco grinned. "I'm only calm because Professor McGonagall is behind you."

Ron and Harry whipped around, only to see Professor McGonagall had just emerged from Hagrid's hut a few yards away, Hagrid behind her. Ron turned back around to glare at Draco.

With a short laugh Draco sneered, "Didn't say how far, did I?" Ron didn't want to get into more trouble so he refrained from punching Draco again.

Luckily, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid came rather quickly. "Okay," Hagrid said, "Yer to be diggin' over there." He pointed somewhere behind the lot towards the edge of the forest. They turned to see the place they'd be spending for the next few hours. "Here you go," Hagrid handed them each a shovel, while they looked inquisitively at him. "Well," he said, "get ter work, I'll go get the saplin's."

Harry, Ron and Draco slowly walked over to the place they were supposed to be digging. Harry caught Draco saying, "I can't believe this…" Harry was going to say something but Professor McGonagall was still standing there,

"Well?" she said abruptly, so they started digging.

It seemed like an hour had passed. The sun could still barley be seen, the last dabs of it's golden paint shone on the black and blue sky. Professor McGonagall had left them, and Hagrid was sitting in a large makeshift chair somewhere behind the three. As for the saplings, they were rather large. Which meant they had to make rather large holes, so it was taking a take a while. Harry had thought of asking Draco about the new teacher, but he knew Draco would be angry that he was being far too familiar with him. So he let it alone.

As for Draco, he wasn't happy at all. He kept complaining, saying things like, "I'm dirty," or, "this is so tedious." Both Ron and Harry wanted desperately for him to shut up. After a while of this, Draco had stuck his shovel into the ground and leaned against it. He wiped his forehead and made yet another complaint. "How long do they expect us to keep at it? I'd be amazed if this situation could get any worse…"

Harry was about to tell him to shut up, seeing as how Draco's hole was by far the smallest, when a sudden noise behind them made them all jump and turn around. Hagrid was asleep and snoring in his chair.

"Jeeze… isn't he supposed to be watching us?" Draco spat, looking at him with slight disgust. "Lazy slob."

"It's not like he's the one being punished," Ron said angrily, but quietly so as not to wake Hagrid.

"Yeah, and it's _his_ fault were even here, is it?" Draco had directed his comment to Ron, and he didn't seem to care about the volume of his voice. "I'm leaving," he muttered. But as he turned toward the castle to leave he almost ran into Remus who had been standing behind them all.

Draco backed away and sneered. "Watch where I'm going."

"You're not going any where Malfoy," Harry said, glaring at him. He seemed to be doing quite a lot of glaring today.

Draco stood there with his arms crossed looking rather disgruntled. With an adult around, there wasn't much he could do to argue.

He wanted to leave, but there was nothing he could do. He wasn't sure how Remus would react if he tried. He had been a teacher. And then there was that oaf Hagrid, he was well, rather large… so he settled on working again. He focused his energy a bit more this time because no one else was working, and he didn't exactly want to be included in the others conversation.

He watched everything that they did and listened to them. Watching the werewolf move to wake up Hagrid, the half-giant woke with a start. Remus and Hagrid talked for a minute or two, and half-giant retreated to his hut. Draco was stuck with the werewolf now, who just wanted to talk to Harry.

He started talking about financial problems. "_HA! I was right,"_ he thought. Then he started to talk about someone named 'snuffles.' Who ever the hell that was, '_what kind of name is snuffles_,' Draco thought.

"He told me to talk to professor Dumbledore," Remus stated. He was talking about jobs and being depressed. It was rather pathetic for Draco to listen to. "I had no where to turn, but he said he has some ideas on some well paying jobs, and no one there would care who or what you are."

Draco looked at his magical analog wristwatch and lit his wand, it had gotten rather dark over the few hours they had been here. The magical watch also told the days of the week, it showed the month and the year, and it had little lunar pictures rotating around, which came in handy for astronomy. It could also magically record short messages, when Daco ordered it to. His mother bought it for him when he first started school.

He started thinking back on that day, when he had realized something on the lunar chart. He whipped around horrified. Maybe the watch was malfunctioning, because wouldn't he know? Couldn't he tell?

Draco was going to say something but it was too late. It had already started, and they soon realized it too.

End of chapter two


	3. Your Life is Changing

MUAHAHA!! The long awaited chapter three!! (I has a little worried it wouldn't come! ^.^;)*does a jig* learn what freaked out Draco, and watch as my plot starts to unfold!! I don't know why it took so long to put it up, I actually finished it a month ago X_x And REVIEW!! *cry's when you don't* It gives me motivation people!  
  
Take a breath...  
  
...Your life is changing.  
  
Chapter three:  
  
People at the castle were completely unaware of anything unusual happening outside, as they were either finishing up their dinner or relaxing in their common rooms. Professor McGonagall, who knew some students were out-side, could have been suspicious of things, had forgotten about the three boys while she was caught up in her work.  
  
There were four people outside on the castle grounds on this particular night, and all of them were screaming, three of them in terror and one in pain. Remus was changing. Harry, Ron and Draco, too scared to run past him towards the castle, ran straight into the forest. As Remus finished his transformation into a werewolf, all of his memories left him as he caught the sent of human flesh. The screaming had stopped, but Remus could sense where all three boys were. The werewolf could smell his targets moving apart. Just then, a quick yell from Draco was heard, and the werewolf set off, stalking him, sensing weakness.  
  
Somewhere in the forest Draco had tripped. Ron and Harry had been separated from him a while back. He rolled onto his back, trying to get up, when he noticed two gleaming eyes out of the darkness.   
  
"No," he whimpered. He lay, frozen, in the spot where he had fallen, as his biggest fear approached him. With a deep growl, the werewolf launched himself at Draco. The boy held up his leg to deflect the attack, but the werewolf swiftly swerved out of his way, and sunk its hungry jaws into the side of his calf. Draco screamed loudly in pain, hoping that someone would hear him and come to his aid.   
  
The werewolf was now trying to pull his leg off. Draco came out of his stupor, took out his wand, and pointed it at the werewolf saying incantation that shot fire at the animal's face. The werewolf Remus let go of Draco's leg and whimpered in pain, pawing at its face. Draco stood up as fast as he could, but the pain was so bad he thought he'd die just standing up, but somehow he managed to start running. He could hear the werewolf cease whimpering somewhere behind him. 'I'm going to die!' he thought, terrified. Just then, he ran into something that fell back as he did.  
  
"Malfoy?" it whispered frantically.  
  
"Weasley?" Draco whispered back. Harry was with him. In the darkness, Draco could barely make out their outlines.   
  
"He's back there!" Draco said, pointing in fear behind him, and they all started running again. They could hear the werewolf closing in on them. They had all given up hope of coming out of this alive when they fell off the edge of a very large cliff and darkness over-took them.  
  
~`~`~  
  
Hermione, although informed of Harry and Ron's detention, was angry that Harry and Ron didn't meet her in front of the Great Hall like they had planned. With the knowledge that they might be in detention, she went to eat dinner and then went back to the common room to study up on the classes they had in the next week, as they had arrived at school on Thursday night. She really didn't worry about the two boys as she read new and interesting things about the plants and new potions they were going to study in class soon. She knew whatever they were doing they'd be fine. Though she did have a few worried thoughts of them, last time they had detention with Draco, they had seen the Dark Lord.  
  
It wasn't till she headed up the stairs to her dormirory later that night that she started wondering when they'd be back, but reading in the dim light of the common room had made her more tired then she thought it would, and all she could think of was her bed. She sank into it and almost instantaneously fell asleep.  
  
****  
  
Harry could feel the morning sun on the back of his eyelids, but he didn't want to open them. He tried to recall what he had been doing to make his head hurt so much. He remembered serving his detention, planting trees, and seeing Remus... wait! His hand suddenly clasped around a bunch of leaves, and his eyes opened. He saw the sky above him and treetops framing it. He sat up and held his throbbing head, trying to gather his thoughts together. He wheeled around wildly to see what had become of everyone. His eyes first landed on Draco, who was on his left, covered in leaves like he'd been lying there all autumn, and to his right lay the naked figure of Remus who was face down and covered in leaves, right behind him was Ron.  
  
Harry got up, pushed all the leaves off him-self, and ran to Ron's side. Harry shook him hard on the shoulder. "Ron... Ron!"  
  
Ron's eyes flew open and he sat up. "Whoa," he said as he looked around a bit before remembering where they were, and why. He got up as well brushed the leaves off, looking up. They had fallen off some sort of ledge, on the opposite side of which was a hill. It looked like someone had cut out a wedge out of the earth. The trees in the wedge were scarce but the canopy was still very dense.  
  
Ron looked down and around him, and he spotted Remus and Draco. Harry had started to walk toward Remus, taking his school robes off in order to cover the older man. Ron walked over to where Draco lay to make sure that he'd have an edge on him if he woke up. But as Ron walked closer to Draco's unconscious body he noticed something. There was blood, and lots of it, all over the leaves and robes around his right leg.   
  
"Uh, Harry? You might want to see this."  
  
Harry, having covered up Remus, sprinted over to Ron, "what?" he asked Ron pointed to Draco's leg and Harry unexpectedly knelt down beside his body, Draco's hair had gone very astray.   
  
"Oh my god, Harry, I think he's going to be a werewolf!" Ron gasped.  
  
Harry, putting aside his feelings of hatred for Draco, bent over his leg to see if there was anything he could do to help him. There was blood everywhere, all over his robes and the leaves around it. Harry wasn't sure what he should do. Why ooooh why couldn't they have just ran into Hagrids cabin? At least this way remus wasn't prowling around the grounds, he might have injured more people this way.  
  
"What are you doing, Harry?" came Ron's soft and confused voice from over Harry's shoulder.  
  
"I want to make sure he's all right," Harry said. He moved his right hand under Draco's nose to see if he was breathing. He was, but lightly, very lightly.   
  
Ron was silent, even though he refused to help Draco, he could understand that Harry was just the kind of person that would help anyone, if they really needed it. This situation was just too awkward for him to pipe in as he usually did.  
  
Harry tilted Draco's head back with his left hand. He had learned a bit about health in his old Muggle school and knew this would help Draco breathe better. Out of the blue Harry got a strange sense of déjà vu. But before he could think of exactly why, Draco's eyes snapped open. They didn't stay open, though before Harry could say anything he had passed out again.  
  
"I guess he's alive," Ron said, stating the obvious. There was a slight hint of disappointment in his voice too. Harry suppressed a smirk, even though Draco had came out of this probably the worst of them all, Harry didn't feel too sorry for him. It was going to be bad for both Draco and Remus, but Harry thought this would teach Draco a lesson he'd probably never get in normal conditions.   
  
Harry now moved down to Draco's battered leg and ripped apart the other boy's robes to form a bandage. He was rich, so it didn't matter to Harry that Draco's robes were now ruined beyond repair. Though the wound had been bleeding quite a bit over the night, Harry took a chance that it might still do some good to bandage it. When he was finished, he stood up and looked around at where they had fallen, and tried to think about how they would get out. Ron had started to wonder the same thing.  
  
"Kind of a tight spot were in, don't you think, Harry," Ron said.  
  
"I imagine Draco's will be worse."  
  
"Ha ha, I'll bet you're right. So how do you propose we get out of here? Maybe drag them up the hill?" He pointed to the slop of the wedge in the earth.  
  
"You must be joking Ron! Tha--" But before Harry could finish what he was saying they heard something that sounded awfully like yelling. He hushed Ron. They waited a while in silence, and then they could hear the shouting of presumably frantic teachers searching for them.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
It had been a long hike back to the castle. Harry hadn't realized how far they had gone, he was dazed the whole way, must have been the fall. But they were now safely in the hospital wing. Hagrid had found them and called to the other teachers. Just about every teacher was out there, looking for them. Madam Pomfrey was expertly tending to Draco now. She had neglected to pull curtains around his bed, and Harry and Ron could see how bad the wound on Draco's leg was. It was bad, really bad. It made Ron sick to look at it and even worse to think Harry had touched it.   
  
Teachers all crowded around the two beds occupying Draco and Remus. Their beds were across the room from Ron and Harry, and next to each other. Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and even Flitwick were standing around them, talking frantically a midst themselves with Madam Pomfrey. It seemed that no matter what the teachers said, Draco was most defiantly going to end up being a werewolf. Remus' collarbone had broken, and he lay in the other bed under the covers. Though Ron and Harry were in generally good health, they were forced to eat some chocolate and rest awhile in the hospital wing. There had been no sign of Hermione yet, maybe she hadn't heard the news, or perhaps she didn't know they were back yet.  
  
Harry and Ron were talking to each other in hushed voices, when suddenly Dumbledore approached them. He looked at them with very mellow look. "How are you two boys?" He asked, in a soft gentle voice.  
  
"Fine," they said in unison. "Must ask you though, why couldn't you have gone to get Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked, looking at both of them.  
  
"Well," Harry began, knowing anything he said wouldn't help his situation at all, "If remus hadn't chased us into the forest he could have attacked more people."  
  
The head masters took on a serious look, "Hagrid is much more capable of taking on a full fledged werewolf then any of you are. You three could have been killed..." The two said nothing. "I guess its understandable, its hard to think clearly when you are so afraid,"  
  
Harrys insides started to turn around inside, he felt bad, all this could have been avoided if he had just gone to get Hagrid.  
  
Dumbledore's hard expression became a pensive one. "You know it was hard trying to keep Remus here when he was a boy," he started, the boys staring intently at him. "We had to make so many excuses so his classmates wouldn't find out." Harry and Ron weren't sure they knew where this was going. "And it was so much easier for him, and the staff, that no one knew." Dumbledore glanced toward Remus' bed and gave another smile. "I know both of your feelings for Mr. Malfoy are, well, unenthusiastic, to say the least" Ron snorted. "I have already sent an owl to the Ministry of Magic telling them, in a toned down version, what happened."  
  
Harry's eyes went wide. "But Prof--"  
  
"The staff has decided it would be best to cast a memory charm on the both of you, for yours and Draco's sake." They stared at him, mouths open. The look on Dumbledores face grew very distant now.  
  
"But--" Harry tried once more, but Dumbledore interrupted him again.  
  
"Its not up to you to decide Harry, I'm sorry." The genuine look of misery on the old man's face made Harry change his mind about arguing. "What about Remus," he said instead.  
  
"Oh..." Dumbledore looked gravely back to the unconscious, now crippled man. "I'm not too sure, the Ministry's very hard on werewolf attacks, but I'll do what I can. He doesn't deserve more then he has already..." There was a long pause, Dumbledore was looking around at Madam Pomfrey. Harry wondered if he should say something, but before he did, Dumbledore pulled out his wand. He looked at it with a very solemn look and said, "Once again, I'm very sorry." He looked to Harry and Ron now, they didn't look afraid, rather, just waiting to accept what was to come. "It won't hurt, I assure you, and afterwards you may go back to your common room," He adopted a small smile. "I'm sure Miss Granger will be wondering where you are by the time you get back to Gryffindor Tower." He raised his wand to Harry's head first.  
  
  
  
  
  
~`~`~  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry and Ron made it back to the common room somehow, and said the password to open the door somehow. The memory charm had made them very dazed and confused. As soon as they had stepped inside, Hermione was up and hugging the two of them around their necks. "Oh my god, I was a little worried when you didn't come back last night! I had no idea you were in trouble, what happened?" she asked backing away from them and looking at them intently.  
  
"I couldn't find my socks! They were right there and then they ran off!" Ron half-yelled. Hermione stared at him in surprise and confusion. She looked to Harry for an answer.  
  
"We had memory charms," he said slowly.  
  
Hermione's eyes went wide, she almost asked why but she reminded herself that it would be pointless. "How is it that your not affected by the side affects of the charm as much as Ron?" she said, giving an awkward glance to Ron, who was now looking all around the common room for his socks.  
  
"I don't know," he said airily, with a slight frown. "I'm tired though, maybe it has something to do with my ability to repel the Imperius curse?"  
  
"Maybe," Hermione said, putting the idea in the back of her head to research later. "But can you remember anything about last night?"  
  
"A bit..." He said slowly as if remembering took a lot of effort. "Only that we were running into the woods for some reason and then we fell. The rest is blank."  
  
"Oh, Harry, Ron... I can't believe that--"  
  
"THERE THEY ARE!" Ron yelled looking down at his feet.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
  
A couple members of the Ministry arrived, and Dumbledore led them into the hospital wing.   
  
"Here," he said, as he pulled back Draco's curtain. Remus didn't have one.  
  
"Hmm," said one man.  
  
"Where is Cornelius today?" Dumbledore asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Busy," said the other man simply.  
  
The two members of the Ministry started talking avidly about werewolf laws and such. They wanted to put Remus in Azkaban, but Dumbledore had managed to talk them out of the idea. They were discussing another punishment when suddenly Draco awoke.   
  
He looked around at the trio fervently, and then down at his leg, because it felt like it was melting. He screamed and threw his pillow at it, and buried his head in his arms. Dumbledore moved to calm him. The racket made Remus stir in his sleep.  
  
"Draco!" Dumbledore said loudly but soothingly, putting his hand on the boy's protruding elbow. "I am so sorry," he said at Draco's crossed arms. "There's nothing we can do, you'll have to live as a werewolf from now on, unless a permanent cure is found..."  
  
"No..." came a soft voice from the other occupied bed. The Headmaster turned to face Remus, who was sitting up now. Wide-eyed and pale, he whispered the word again as every thing swirled before his eyes. His worst nightmare had come true. And under Draco's folded arms, for the first time in eight years, he was crying.  
  
  
  
***End of chapter 3  
  
  
  
*Gasp* after I got through the hard part (writing/typing when they wake up in the forest), it was very compelling to keep going. It's a bit longer then the other ones, but that's okay. Be sure to r/r!! 


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